Lüderitz contractors want tender board scrapped

A delegation from the Lüderitz Contractors Association (LCA) met with local authority councillors here to air their grievances over the way Lüderitz Town Council has been awarding tenders to outside firms at their expense, despite the fact that LCA members apparently possess the same level of experience, skills and expertise.

Chairperson of LCA Milton Pitt, whose members feel alienated when it comes to tender allocations, called on the local authority councillors as the political leaders of the administration of Lüderitz Town Council to urgently look into the matter, lest it bring the entire town council into disrepute.

Pitt said firms based outside Lüderitz do not recruit local staff and apparently come to Lüderitz with their own workforce and then repatriate the profits to their areas of origin.

Echoing the same sentiments was Markus Martin, the executive secretary of LCA, who expressed concern over the issue, saying local contractors should have preferential treatment in the awarding of tenders, as they keep revenue circulating in the town and in the process boost the local economy, hence improving the living standards of the inhabitants by creating employment and opportunities for local people.

The LCA also requested that council withdraw a construction tender awarded to Octagon Investment until the authorities have fully explained what criteria were used to award that tender, while bypassing a local company that was shortlisted for the same job. They also called for the cancelation of a tender awarded to a company from outside the area to construct a fire station.

The LCA furthermore wants the Lüderitz Tender Board to be dissolved and have members from the Chamber of Commerce and from the community represented thereon.

The LCA gave Lüderitz councillors a week to respond to their grievances, failing which, the group plans to take the matter to higher authorities.